Holmes has been accused of enlisting a close friend in a full-scale war to discredit him.

His publicists claimed Katie Holmes persuaded Jeanne Yang, a stylist to some of America’s biggest celebrities, to mount a “conspiracy” to trash her ex-husband to various US publications.

The onslaught has forced the furious Top Gun star to open up about his relationships and his religion in a way he has never done before.

Astonishing details of the battling couple’s feud show how the actor’s desperate team of PR flunkies painted a damning portrayal of the mother-of-one.

In a series of emails read out in court they alleged Cruise, 51, was the victim of an orchestrated drive to discredit the movie star as well as claiming sensitive information was being leaked.

They also accused Holmes, who is the mother of the couple’s daughter Suri, of having a hotline to the paparazzi.

Emails sent between August and September last year exposed the fierce rift between the couple which allege Holmes, 34, enlisted the help of a close friend Yang.

Cruise’s publicist Amanda Lundberg wrote in one email: “A very good friend/editor slipped and said her name to me on Monday.

Later adding: “Two good sources told me it is all her... Every single person tells me she is speaking to the press constantly.”

So incensed by the perceived betrayal at one point they threatened to send a legal letter to Holmes’s lawyers accusing Yang of leaking stories and telling her to stop.

However it wasn’t only the stylist who Cruise’s camp's anger was directed towards.

(Image: Rex)

They claimed the actress's publicity team called the paparazzi every time Holmes left her apartment in Manhattan.

“(Katie’s publicist) calls the paparazzi every time K gets ready to leave the building as the doormen are always surprised how they suddenly show up when she is about to leave,” Lundberg alleged, in another email.

When a story emerged claiming Suri was scared for her first day of school because her father made her nervous by telling her she’d have to follow rules and listen to her teachers, his lawyers hit the the roof.

After threatening to take action the blame again fell on Yang as the whistleblower and Cruise’s team unashamedly announced it was convinced Holmes’ team was purposely putting out false information.

“JY [Jeanne Yang] again. At this point she and they are involved in a conspiracy,” one email blasted. “They know she’s making this bs (bullsh*t) up.”

The situation came to a head when the Top Gun’s star’s publicist was asked to comment on a story about him missing Suri’s first day at school which left Homles upset.

It prompted them to contact his ex wife’s publicist to end the back-stabbing.

“I think this is getting more disgusting if that is even possible. And this should be curbed whenever possible - their daughter doesn’t deserve these incessant lies,” Lundberg wrote to Holmes’ agent, Nanci Ryder.

“Can you guys comment and deny this as we all know this is not true. I think that would help stop this which of course is in Suri’s best interest as well.

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“He would never make a promise he wouldn’t keep and he knew where he would be,” Lundberg explained, noting Cruise was filming in London at the time.

“Plus even if a promise was made - the only person who would know that are T, S and K [Tom, Suri and Katie] so we know this didn’t come from them right?”

The revelation comes as Cruise sues two U.S. magazines for £31million for libel after they accused of “abandoning” Suri.

The details emerged as part of a 36-page disposition transcript the actor gave when he met with the publications lawyers.

As the actor was grilled he admitted he had hardly seen the seven-year-old in 110 days after his divorce in July 2012 and that his devotion to Scientology DID play a part in the breakdown of his marriage.

He was quizzed at length about seeing Suri for only 10 days following his divorce over a four month period.

The magazine’s legal team asked if there had been any agreement with Holmes that prevented him from seeing his daughter.

Cruise replied saying it was simply a case of schedules not matching up.

“Unfortunately, in this situation it was impossible.” he said.

(Image: WireImage)

At one point during the heated exchange with the lawyer for In Touch and Life & Style magazines, he was compared him to his own father, Thomas Mapother (corr) III, who allegedly left the actor when he was a child.

“The fact that you would suggest that I was being like my father… I find that greatly offencive,” he said.

Pushed by the magazine's attorney Elizabeth McNamara further he was also asked about his religion.

McNamara asked: “And Ms Holmes has never indicated in any way that was one of the reasons she left you? To protect Suri from Scientology?”

The Mission Impossible star then admits: “Did she say that? That was one of the assertions, yes.”

During their five year marriage the actress was a practitioner of the church although as soon as the couple broke up she left - taking their daughter Suri with her.

Holmes has always refused to talk about her divorce although in a recent she opened about motherhood.

She said: "My most amazing achievement is being a mum; my daughter is the most important thing in my life," Holmes says. "She keeps me going."

As no settlement has been reached the case it set to go trial next year.